


Victory

by feelingofthesea



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Arranged Marriage, Hurt, Multi, Piano, Romance, Soulmates, light infidelity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:35:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29640324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feelingofthesea/pseuds/feelingofthesea
Summary: “Open that fucking door Susan. I know you’re home.“Oh, so it was Susan today. So much for breaking the news gently. Covering the letter from her aunt and the official missive from the Ministry with one of the many books that laid on her desk – because one could hope that you pissed your girlfriend off with something different than a new marriage law, right?
Relationships: Susan Bones/Lavender Brown, Susan Bones/Throfinn Rowle, Thorfinn Rowle/Susan Bones/Lavender Brown
Comments: 5
Kudos: 10
Collections: Tag(line) You're It! Competition





	Victory

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [Tagline_Youre_It_Comp_2020](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Tagline_Youre_It_Comp_2020) collection. 



> As an admin I'm ineligible for awards but I still wanted to participate for fun, I _did_ have a lot of fun, but I'm still going to have a word with past Jana about this decision and especially about the decision to give every power possible for the prompt away, because that's how I ended up with this.
> 
> There can be no triumph without loss. No victory without suffering. No freedom without sacrifice. (Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)  
> Trope: Arranged Marriage  
> Pairing: Thorfinn Rowle/Susan Bones/Lavender Brown
> 
> I feel like I could have easily turned this idea into a multi chapter and I really hope I still did it justice!
> 
> Please go and read the rest of the collection and then VOTE! A link to voting can be found on the collection page.
> 
> Last but not least a huge thank you to FirewhiskySoul for beating, any remaining errors are my own, because for who I am as a person I changed and added a lot afterwards. 
> 
> Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this creation.

There was a sharp knock on her door and Susan flinched. She was sure she knew exactly who was on the other side. Vigorously, she tried to wipe dried tears off her cheeks. The knock sounded again, even more insistent this time. 

“Open that _fucking_ door Susan. I know you’re home.“

Oh, so it was _Susan_ today. So much for breaking the news gently. Covering the letter from her aunt and the official missive from the Ministry with one of the many books that laid on her desk – because one could hope that you pissed your girlfriend off with something different than a new marriage law, right? – Susan stood. She opened the door reluctantly to the sight of Lavender’s furious face. 

Lavender shoved a copy of the Daily Prophet at Susan’s chest. “What, in the name of Merlin, is that?“ Her tone was demanding, relentless, and Susan opened the door fully, retreating to her desk with a sigh, tossing the Prophet aside. 

Fury sparkled in Lavender’s eyes as she marched up to Susan, bracing her palms on the edge of the desk. “Explain this to me! We are not going along with this!“ Her gaze searched Susan’s and the confidence in her voice wavered. “Right?“

Susan sighed again, drawing a hand down her face. “It’s not that easy, Lav. It is a _law_.“

Color spread on Lavender’s cheeks, traveling down her throat. “But I _love_ you and you love me! They can’t just take that away from us!“ 

Susan’s voice almost broke as she spoke again. “They can and they’re…“ Before she had the chance to finish the sentence, Lavender interjected angrily again.

“So you are telling me you’re going to throw all of this away, everything _we_ have, to marry a bloody Death Eater? Just because a stupid law is trying to make you do it?“

Absently rearranging objects on her desk, Susan answered, her words wavering and not as steady as she’d like them to be. “It might be stupid, love, but it’s still a law.“

Lavender started to pace the room, her cheeks still flushed and her hair frizzy from excessively running her hands through it. Tears welled in Susan’s eyes again upon seeing her girlfriend like this. The letter from her aunt had arrived just after the missive from the Ministry, explaining that she expected Susan to go along with the law, setting a good example, and that she’d arranged for her to meet with her match late this afternoon. 

“I’m going to meet him this afternoon, Lav.“

It came out a barely audible whisper and stopped Lavender dead in her tracks. Susan had expected yelling, a scene, something loud and fierce from the woman she loved, but Lavender's actual reaction hurt so much more than any inconsiderate words said in heat could have. Her face had drained of all color, unshed tears glittering in her eyes.

“It seems like you made your decision. Good luck with that, Sue.“

The nickname that had always warmed Susan’s heart dripped with bitterness and more tears spilled down her cheeks. This couldn’t be it, their relationship simply couldn’t end like that, because the Ministry had another stupid idea to repair society after the war that was doomed to fail like all the others did before. Still, it felt like Lavender was slipping away from her and Susan couldn’t do anything about it. 

***

With a last glance into the mirror, Susan grabbed her coat and walked towards the fireplace. She’d hidden her puffy face under layers upon layers of glamour charms and had wrapped her body into a beautiful dress. She still felt awful and not at all in the mood to play nice with a dark wizard, but what choice did she have? Stepping into the hearth, she called out the address her aunt had given her.

The room she stepped into looked exactly like Susan imagined. Dark, with stuffy furniture, and it felt as if the cold had forever seeped into the walls. The place was not welcoming at all. She lingered, disoriented for a moment, but nobody seemed to have noticed her arrival, so Susan wandered off to find _him_ and get this over with. 

A dimly lit corridor led from the room she’d landed in. The ceiling was unnecessarily high, amplifying the graveyard atmosphere. At first Susan thought it was her imagination playing a trick on her when she suddenly heard a distant, sad melody. It was all too fitting, but with every step that she walked down the corridor, the melody became more clear. 

There was somebody in this house playing the piano.

Having become curious, Susan followed the sound until the corridor opened up into a hall-like room. Huge windows showed an overwhelming view of what must be the grounds surrounding this manor. Chandeliers adorned the ceiling and in the center of the room stood an elegant grand piano. Thorfinn Rowle sat in front of the keys, completely oblivious to her presence and caught up in his playing. 

Susan was speechless, maybe even overwhelmed. _This_ was not at all what she had expected. He was - and it almost hurt to admit - painfully good-looking. The way his fingers danced over the keys was hypnotizing even from afar and it stirred something within her, something she couldn’t quite place, something that felt _dangerous_ and had her breath catch in her throat.

It could have been mere seconds or hours that Susan stood there, watching how Thorfinn played. It looked more like he caressed the piano. His fingers stroked the keys carefully, coaxing all the right tones from them, leaving Susan to wonder what else his fingers were capable of. Irritation clawed up her skin and she shook her head. There was something extraordinary about this moment. An unknown feeling blossomed in her chest and clouded her mind. Before she had the chance to get fully lost in the melody and the man who was creating it, she cleared her throat, drawing attention to herself. 

The movement of Thorfinn’s hands stopped abruptly, the last tone echoing between them, leaving an unfinished sense behind. Susan watched as he slowly turned around, icy blue eyes meeting hers. A shiver traveled up her spine upon his intense stare. Fuck, what was she doing? This wasn’t some fateful meeting, she had a loving _girlfriend_ at home, or at least she hoped she still did, and the man who was currently turning her brain to mush was a _sentenced_ Death Eater. 

As if under a spell, Susan watched how Thorfinn stood and strode over to her. His steps seemed calculated. Stopping just in front of her, he took her hand, placing a featherlight kiss on the back of it.

“Miss Bones,“ He nodded, “I didn't expect you to actually show up.“ 

Susan frowned. He didn't?

“As I take it you're in a perfectly happy relationship with your girlfriend. Surely you won't throw all of this away for someone like me because of a stupid law.“

It seemed he would get along quite well with Lavender. Not being able to hold her tongue, Susan retorted.

“I get that it might not be something powerful to someone like you, but to me a law is still a law. No matter how stupid it is.“

Rowle considered her for a moment. Expression unreadable, before he gestured with a jerk of his head to follow him through one of the doors. Susan hesitated for a moment. He  _ was _ a Death Eater after all. Had been one.  _ Oh, suddenly you are afraid? Come one Sue, get your shit together. _ Taking a deep, shaking breath she followed him. 

“I suggest we sort out the logistics then.“ Thorfinn proposed, as they reached a room that had to be his study. He took a seat behind his desk and gestured towards the chair in front of it.  _ The logistics _ , as if they were talking about a business transaction. Susan suspected in a sense they did. If there wasn't that feeling that kept tucking at her. If there wasn't this ban that held her captive since she walked in on him playing the piano. 

Susan was aware that Rowle was talking, she could see his lips move, but she never actually processed his words. She was too caught up in watching him. His sharp jaw, his stern expression, how his shirt clung to his torso and the multiple tattoos covering both of his arms, giving him a rough appearance. 

His dirty blonde, slightly too long hair fell into his face and as Susans gaze finally rested on his eyes she could see how they mirrored the smirk that curled his lips. Shit. She'd been staring, right? It was as if her body was suddenly acting without her permission, reacting to something not within her power. 

Susan cleared her throat, willing herself to focus again. She needed to get this over with, catch some fresh air to get rid of whatever haze she currently found herself in and then find Lavender to fix this mess. 

In the next twenty minutes they discussed details of a contract both of them would be taking to their lawyers before anyone signed it. By the time the outline was complete and Thorfinn stood, to walk Susan back to the fireplace her collar clung to her skin, soaked with sweat. Something was off, she just couldn't determine what exactly. Her breathing came short and there was this pull towards Rowle, not even thoughts about Lavender could fight.

Toying with the hem of her sleeves Susan stood in front of the fireplace, unsure how to say her goodbye, but Throfinn took the choice away from her anyway. He stepped closer, entering her personal space. Susan could feel his breath on her cheek as he leaned in, hot puffs of air, distracting her further. He spoke with a low voice, barely audible. A rumble she felt somewhere deep within her magical core. This whole encounter was  _ fucking _ concerning.

“You can feel it too, love. Right? The inevitability. I suspected the Ministry might go down this route again, but then I was convinced they didn't have the balls. It's not exactly light magic after all. But this, _you,_ tells me otherwise.“

Susan's head swam.  _ What  _ was he talking about? She did feel it, whatever it was and what had he said about light magic? Had she been cursed? Oh Merlin, that must be it, she'd been cursed because this blasted pureblood home only accepted witches and wizards  their like and her being half blood was already not pure enough or some nonsense. 

Gasping Susan tried to get enough air into her lungs, but it wasn't working. She was about to hyperventilate, she could feel it. Maybe there had never been a law in the first place and it was just some fucked up plan Rowle put into action to get to her aunt through her. It  _ had _ been in the prophet though and Lavender also knew about it, that seemed like a lot of effort. 

A cool touch to her hot skin pulled Susan out of her panic. Thorfinn had grabbed both of her upper arms, his face still impossible close.

“Shhh, princess. I got you, breathe.“ 

Easier said than done. 

Susan desperately sucked in a lungful of air and felt how the fog clouding her brain vaned slightly, but it also made her more aware of the man in front of her, caging her in against a wall. His gaze flicked to her lips for a split second and before Susan had the chance to actually process the movement he kissed her. 

Passionately, fierce but still with a tenderness she didn't expect and fuck it felt good. Thoughts about Lavender crossed her mind for the blink of an eye and then she was lost in sensation. Before she really had the chance to return his kiss though he pulled back, his stare pure fire. Raising his hand towards his mouth Throfinn wiped a smudge of her lipstick from his lips with his thumb. A devious smirk lighting up his whole face. 

“I'm sure miss Brown knows what to make out of this. Bring her along next time, I'd be happy to have the company of both of you.“

With that he left her standing in front of the fireplace. Confused, her insides burning from the forbidden kiss, on unsteady legs.

***

Susan stepped out of the hearth in her flat, still flustered, not being able to fully comprehend what had happened in the last few hours. Carelessly she deposited her coat on the armchair in the corner and stepped out of her heels. 

Barefoot she made her way to the bathroom, planning to take a hot bath, but light shining through from under her bedroom door stopped her. _Lavender._ She'd hoped that she would be here when she came back home, but now Susan wasn't sure about it anymore. _Fuck_. She just kissed another man, a Death Eater at that and Lavender had been here waiting for her all the while. _I'm sure Miss Brown knows what to make out of this._ Thorfinn's voice sounded on her mind. Whatever that was supposed to mean. 

Carefully Susan opened the door. Finding Lavender on her side of the bed, flipping through Witch Weekly. But no matter how much effort she put into appearing normal, Susan could sense that something was still out of sort. Blue eyes snapped towards her as the door closed audibly behind her. Lavender's gaze was piercing, cutting through her as if she was trying to look into Susan's very soul and apparently she found what she'd been looking for.

“It's true then.“

Lavender stated and Susan wondered if today was the day everybody had to talk in  _ fucking _ riddles to her.

“Are you going to leave me for him?“

_ What? _ Now she didn't make any sense at all anymore.  _ I'm sure Miss Brown knows what to make out of this. _ A nasty voice reminded her again. With a sigh Susan lowered herself to the edge of the bad, drawing a hand down her face.

“I have no idea what you're talking about, Lav. I don't understand  _ anything _ people tell me today.  _ Of course  _ I don't plan to leave you.“

Lavender laughed humorless.

“I did some research while you were gone. I might not be from one of the most respected pureblood families, but I am still one of them and I had to confirm some things,“ she said. Setting the issue of Witch Weekly aside. “And I can see that you felt it, I can see it in your eyes, Sue. He's your soulmate and I know that sounds even more crazy than the law itself, but the Ministry is apparently desperate enough to tinker with old magic.  _ Really _ old magic. There is a spell that matches soulmates, it's not dark magic per se, but it also kind of is, doesn't even matter, because  _ he _ is your fate, Susan. He's the one to make you feel whole. I won't blame you if you choose him over me.“

For the second time that day Susan felt as if she was about to hyperventilate. The things Thorfinn said, the things she  _ felt _ suddenly made so much more sense, but she wanted none of that. Susan wished for nothing more than having a time turner to have never set a foot in Rowle manor. 

She’d stormed from her bedroom and locked herself in the bathroom. She'd stood in front of the mirror for what felt like an entirety, tears streaming down her face. The conversations of the day replaying on her mind again and again and  _ again. _ As her breathing finally slowed down again one thing stuck out to her.  _ Bring her along next time, I'd be happy to have the company of both of you.  _ Maybe she just had to be bold enough to ask for  _ everything _ she wanted. 

_ There can be no triumph without loss. No victory without suffering. No freedom without sacrifice. _

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Find me on [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/feelingofthesea) or [Twitter](https://mobile.twitter.com/feelingofthesea)!


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